


Christmas Tree

by Isimile



Series: Advent challenge [4]
Category: Elisabeth - Levay/Kunze
Genre: Christmas, Gen, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-04
Updated: 2012-12-04
Packaged: 2017-11-20 07:42:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/582948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isimile/pseuds/Isimile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rudolf remembers a story about how the tradition of Christmas trees was introduced in Austria and dreams...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas Tree

**Christmas Tree**

The castle was quiet, most of its inhabitants having already retired for the night. Rudolf had decided to use this to steal back to the room with the huge Christmas tree. The candles were still lit, casting their light outside through the windows and making the snow glitter.

Rudolf said down on the floor and got comfortable. Seeing the tree reminded him of when he’d been a little boy. For a change, he had been allowed to stay inside with the rest of his family although he hadn’t been allowed to play like his sisters. But he had been close enough to listen to the story of how the tradition of having a Christmas tree had been introduced.

His great-great-uncle, Erzherzog Karl von Österreich, had married a young German princess, Henriette von Nassau. There had been tension between her and her mother-in-law, Kaiserin Maria Ludovica, caused by intriguers. Because of this, and the fact that Henriette was Protestant while most of Austria was Catholic, the young Erzherzogin had been left behind in the castle on Christmas Eve while the others went to church.

But Henriette hadn’t resigned. She’d gone to a ranger and had had him cut a tree and bring it to the castle where she’d decorated it with candles she’d made herself, just like she had always done in her home in Germany.

By the time the other members of the royal family had returned, a crowd had gathered, staring at the shine of the candles and admiring the tree.

Curious, Kaiserin Maria Ludovica had asked her daughter-in-law about it and Henriette had explained to her how in her home, everyone would have such a tree to light their house during this time of the year, how they would gather around it to read in the bible and sing “Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her.”

“Oh, but child, we sing the same,” Maria Ludovica had exclaimed. The realization that their religious beliefs, as well as their beliefs in general, were not so different after all had broken the ice between the two women and they had managed to start over.

Rudolf had instantly been intrigued by the story. As a child, he’d hoped that something similar would occur between his mother and grandmother, so that his mother would perhaps be around more often.

More recently, it had changed to him hoping that something would happen to break the ice between him and his parents. His hope, however, had remained futile. Still, on a night like this, he allowed himself to dream…

~*~

Der Tod silently walked through the halls. After Elisabeth had once again sent him away, he’d planned to pay a visit to Rudolf and to try and drive him further towards his final plan for him. But the young man hadn’t been in his rooms, so Der Tod had to go looking for him.

He finally found him in the room with the Christmas tree, peacefully sleeping beneath the tree. For a moment Der Tod stopped short, struck by how peaceful yet vulnerable Rudolf appeared. It had been years since he had seen him like this.

He considered waking him to carry out him plan but finally decided that there would still be time for it later.

He regarded Rudolf a moment longer, then, spontaneously, went to pick him up and carried him back to his room, where he placed him on the bed.

Preferring not to think about the reasons behind his actions, he quickly vanished.

**Author's Note:**

> The story of Henriette von Nassau is true. She really was the sister-in-law of Rudolf's great-great grandfather, Franz I of Austria and did really introduce the tradition of Christmas trees to Austria.


End file.
